Something religous that scares me

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religion is 99% faith. if u believe that will happen then believe it. personally, i don't

Well, I am a Christian (kinda hurt what you guys have to say about christians but I'll let it slide.) I don't know about all this 6/6/06 the world is coming to an end whole deal thing. Some of you make sense. But what I've learned since I read the Bible is that the rapture will come which means instead of dying your spirit or soul (forgot) will be taken up into heaven to join Jesus and God, but this will happen when the antiChrist comes. As it says about Noah when the world was flooded and they had to repopulate the earth, it will once again happen except instead of water it will be with fire. This is just what I have learned. Oh and about Christianity need 99% faith... no it takes 100% faith just like evolution. That's just me though. We all have our own beliefs. Just like those terrorists who attacked us on 9/11. They think that they're doing is for Allah. They happily become suicide bombs because they think when they die money and virgins will be waiting for them.

You do yourself proud. Many are afraid to encounter doubting Thomasas, as they are afraid of their own faith. It is the strong person who can look detractors in the face, disagree intelligently, civilly, (as Christ would want) and still keep their belief. Kudos to you. All what has been said here by naysayers and believers alike are merely opinions. They all are like the anal sphincter...they smell. Keep your opinion as you wish.

...the rapture will come...> As it says about Noah when the world was flooded and they had to repopulate the earth...Do you literally believe these things?

Yes, as a matter of fact I do. Ever since I accepted Christ as my Savior there has been a mjor turn around in my life. I want it to stay that way. So I continue learning. I have experienced and witnessed so many things or miracles that my fatih just keeps getting stronger.

So you were recently "born again", and with that comes a required belief in the inerrancy of everything that appears your English version of the Old and New Testament (plus or minus a lot of ambiguous stuff that appears in those books)?I don't think anything could make me feel so good that I'd do that.

faith, Steve...not tryin' to tell you what to do, but go easy, hey? Innocense should be enjoyed as long as possible.

When you tell someone, "I have faith", you're in effect saying "It's ridiculuos that you don't". When someone without faith says, "That's ridiculous", he's saying the same thing. They are both saying the same thing. Except the person with faith is the one making the claim.

Bill Gates is the one true God. Bow down to him or be forever damned to eternal torment in hell. Believe in him and enter paradise when you die. That's my faith. Don't give me a hard time.

Oh this dejavu man dejavu. When I was born again I didn't think anything would change at all. But things started happening from out of nowhere it was ridiculous. I kept praying and I felt like it was a hotline to solving all my problems. In my church it's so crazy because I've seen people get healed. I even spoke in tongues and I had no idea what to do because it was like nothing I've ever encountered before. When you get something you really like you keep wanting more. Its hard to explain because you need to experience it yourself. All the retreats I had gone to made me feel so relieved when I got back home. It was like weight being lifted. I'm drifting off the subject a little so I'll go back. Yes I will believe and continue and it would take alot for me to stop believing. If something makes you love those who you used to hate or who hate you it has got to be pretty good. That's all I'm saying. And I'm not ashamed.

shit...Not true. She is saying she has faith. you understand what she means, as you also have faith. I sometimes think you have a small religious chip on your shoulder.

Sounds really cool, Smooches.

Thanks even though it may sound like something off the scifi channel or a fantasy.

No, I have a big religious chip on my shoulder. I live in a society infused with religion, and it's all around all the time. And it's almost all Christian. Political candidates endlessly go on about their faith. For some absurd reason, "God" appears in the pledge of allegiance to the flag of my country. It affects laws and court decisions, often for the worse. Religious faith is a blight.

Smooches, many many people who have joined a variety of cults Chirstiain or otherwise, have reported similar emotional feelings. Speaking in tongues? What does that mean to you? I can speak in tongues just like the TV preachers. I'm not chanelling the spirit of the Lord. And healing? Now you're throwing you critical faculties right out the window. I'd like to see a broken leg faith-healed. I hope people aren't skipping going to the doctor when they're getting heart attack and stroke symptoms, and going to church instead.

Don't confuse the ideas of "faith" and "truth".

Oh boy. Ok I'm so new at this. My mom told me this would happen. Someone would question me about my faith. And I argued with her like an idiot that it would never happen. Reality check. Here's my summary I'm a chrisitan, I love God, I believe Jesus, life is good, the end. There we go right there. Oh and about speaking in tongues I'll tell you really quick. I went on this thing with a couple teens from my church called an encounter. And it's basically you set yourself aside from worldly things and you spend time in the woods or whatever. Just you and God. Like a prayer trip or something. So my pastor was talking to us about recieving gifts from God. One of them is praying to him in a different language, not what you would usually hear in other countries. So we were going to try out. I saw alotof people speaking in tongues and I was wondering if that could really be me. So when my turn came I was all nervous and everything but the lady told me to just have total faith in him. It seemed like forever but all of a sudden I just bust out crying so uncontrallably and had no idea why. Abd then I kept saying stuff that I had no idea what they meant. But it was sorta cool and scary at the same time. That's one of my proofs to believe because how is it that people all over the world can speak the same language that no other country speaks fluently. So that's just my experience.

One of them is praying to him in a different language, not what you would usually hear in other countries.That's because it was not a language at all. A language has syntax an meaning. What you heard was babbling.> Abd then I kept saying stuff that I had no idea what they meant.Because what you were "saying" had no meaning. Do you know what scat singing is?> But it was sorta cool and scary at the same time. That's one of my proofs to believe because how is it that people all over the world can speak the same language that no other country speaks fluently?It is not a language! Really, it's not. No country speaks it fluently or non-fluently, because it's not a language. A string of utterances does not a language make.I repeat, many people who have had religious conversion (of many types, not just Christian) have had the same emotional response that you had. Being in that state does not lead to critical thinking. It feels good, and you just want to go with it. Functional brain imaging studies have even located the brain structures involved.I also repeat: Don't confuse faith with truth.

Alright I'll just let things stay like that. I'm still young. I certainly don't know any better. So I'm not going to be ignorant and argue with someone older than me and most likely knows more than me. So I'll let it soak in what you said and if I have anything that comes up to question what you say I'll let you know.

In reply to: No, I have a big religious chip on my shoulder. I live in a society infused with religion, and it's all around all the time. And it's almost all Christian. You think you have it bad? Try growing up in a society and a family of not just Christians, but Catholics!!! I have nothing against people who have there own beliefs, as long as they do not compromise others safety or try to force their opinion on others. *cough *cough crusades inquisitions *cough

Ireland is a lot less Catholic than it used to be.

lol oh boy bob. Conflict everywhere huh?

Its not less Catholic, still 97%. But the churches influence has dropped way low! Especially with the child abuse stuff. But I still live in a country (not just a state, an entire country) that is full of the people who were around during the churches influence. My parents, my grandparents, seemingly everyone over the age of 25 was subject to the church's rule.